JUNIOR FOOTBALL – PA TUESDAY NOVEMBER 15

Nov 15 2011 Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

KINNOULL travelled to Crossgates Primrose with newly signed central defender Gordon Brown on board.

Noull boss Gavin Price secured the highly experienced player – who had senior stints with St Johnstone and East Fife – from Dundonald on Thursday.

There was little goalmouth activity until the 15th minute when Kinnoull’s Keith Dewar had made his way into the Primrose penalty box and was tripped by a defender.

It looked a stonewall penalty but the referee didn’t see it that way and waved play on.

While Kinnoull had looked the more likely to open the scoring but it was Primrose who took the lead in 36 minutes when a shot from Lee Hatten from 25 yards sailed over keeper Steve McKinney’s head and dipped under the bar.

Three minutes before the break, Kinnoull levelled matters.

Keith Dewar made a surging run down the right wing and whipped a great cross in to Gary Fraser and the striker applied the perfect finish to side-foot the ball past the keeper.

Kinnoull’s joy was however short lived as the Primrose went right up the park from the restart, the ball was played out to Grant Buckley out on the left and he lashed a vicious left foot shot across Steve McKinney and it landed in the far corner of his net and Primrose went in at the break ahead.

Kinnoull were in the ascendancy at the start of the second half and had a host of chances that failed to put them away and in 75 minutes Gavin Price made a tactical change when he opted for a more attacking mode.

He replaced midfield player Daryn Smith with forward Alex Bone and they got back on level terms when Gary Fraser turned his marker in the penalty box and was brought down by Greg Robertson and the referee this time awarded Kinnoull a penalty, which Primrose were none too happy about.

Alec Bone did the business with the spot kick and the game was all square but Robertson continued to berate the referee and was given his marching orders and his team were down to 10 men which didn’t help their cause.

Kinnoull now had the bit between their teeth and in 82 minutes full-back Sean Fleming, with another raid down the wing, crossed a great ball into Lee Deans in the penalty box. He in turn laid the ball into the path of Fraser who stroked it into the corner of the net for what proved to be the winner.

A few minutes before this goal the Primrose had been reduced to nine men when Graham Sawers was sent off.

The points from this game keeps Kinnoull on top of the table.

Jeanfield moved up to the third top spot in the league table when they took the three points from their clash with Newburgh at the Riverside Stadium, scoring six goals with the loss of only one.

Newburgh came close to taking the lead after two minutes when Scott Findlay picked up the ball and while he was still around at least 25 yards from the Swifts goal he let go a ferocious drive, that much to the relief of keeper Mark Mitchell and his fellow defenders, whistled inches past the post.

Swifts retaliated immediately and a couple of minutes later they had taken the lead when Robbie Holden was downed in the penalty box. Tony Holt’s spot kick was brilliantly saved by keeper Craig Houston but unfortunately for Craig the ball broke back to Holt who made no mistake.

Midway through the half Newburgh striker Billy Carle was put through and was in on keeper Mitchell and he looked set to get his side back on level terms but somehow the keeper managed to block his attempt and the ball was eventually cleared.

Swifts had most of the attacking play after this scare but they failed to convert their superiority into goals until the 34th minute when a great move between Gavin Mackie, John Anderson and Robbie Holden cut through the Newburgh defence with Holden crossing a perfect ball to Gavin Anderson, who was only a few yards from the goal line and knocked the ball into the back of the net.

Five minutes later a cross from Tony Holt was met by John Anderson at the back post and he had the relatively easy task of nodding the ball into the corner of the net to make it 3–0 and that’s how the score stood at the interval.

Three minutes into the second half Newburgh full-back Darren Kelly brought down Robbie Holden and was red-carded.

Five minutes later Burgh’s 10 men shocked Swifts when they reduced the leeway. They won a free-kick out on the right which was met by their centre-half Wallace Brown who was up with his attack and his powerful header flew into the back of the net to make it 3–1.

Newburgh despite their reduced manpower had their best spell after this goal and Swifts keeper Mark Mitchell had to come to his sides rescue with a couple of good saves from Scott Finlay and Gordon Findlay.

Swifts went 4–1 ahead in 68 minutes when defender Mike Gow brought down Robbie Holden in the penalty box. He was given a red card and Burgh were down to nine men. Holden took the resultant spot kick himself and made it 4–1.

Swifts’ lead was increased to 5–0 when a ball into the Newburgh box was diverted past the keeper by one of his own players.

Swifts were then awarded their third penalty in 82 minutes and it was taken by John Anderson but it brought out another brilliant save from keeper Houston.

In a last ditch attack Swifts netted goal number six with Steve McManus claiming the credit although it looked as if the last touch came off a defender.

Bankfoot for a second week accounted for Lochore Welfare but this their third successive league win was marred by an unfortunate incident in the 15th minute when two Bankfoot players, Chris Jones and Steven Moon, both jumped to clear a ball and unfortunately they clashed heads and both were taken to the PRI where Chris Jones had a head wound stitched while Steven Moon had a suspected fracture to his nose treated. They were replaced by Paul Anderson and Ross Mitchell.

This double setback didn’t deter Bankies from taking the lead 10 minutes later when Danny Dobbie fired a free kick into the Lochore penalty box and was met by Alan Stewart who beat the keeper with a glancing header.

Bankies joy was short lived as Lochore were back on level terms within three minutes when they won a corner which was taken by Paul Duncan and swung into the heart of the penalty box and their striker Alan McDonagh swept it past Bankies keeper David Rice from close range.

Bankies went back in front three minutes into the second half when Alan Stewart broke down the left and crossed a great ball into the Lochore goalmouth and David Fyfe, while being challenged by a defender, managed to get enough of a touch to the ball to propel it over the goal line.

Midway through the half Lochore won a corner which was hit into the Bankies goalmouth and was only partially cleared and was picked up by Alan McDonagh. The striker, for the second time in the game, scored to get his side back on level terms.

Bankies restored their lead with a smartly taken goal from Alan Stewart in the 82nd minute and in the final minute of the game Danny Dobbie completed a terrific mazy run when he shot past the keeper from inside the penalty box to make it 4–2 to make certain that the points would remain at Coronation Park.

Luncarty were away to Steelend Vics and this was a see-saw game that produced nine goals.

Unfortunately the Bleachers only scored four of them although at one point in the game they certainly looked on track to collect the points.

The Bleachers found themselves a goal behind after five minutes. Ryan O’Coner was the scorer but by the half hour mark they had surged into a 3–1 lead with goals from Scott Lafferty, John McCabe and Jamie Fairlie. Seconds before the interval Andy Watt reduced the leeway.

A couple of minutes into the second half Noel Meehan made it 4–2 for the Bleachers but a very disappointing last half hour of the game saw the Vics score three goals to win by 5–4. Their goal scorers were a double from sub Steve Rowe in 62 and 71 minutes with Steve Smith netting what proved to be the goal that sent the Bleachers home empty-handed.

Coupar Angus were away to the North League leaders Violet and as was expected they found the Pansies too strong for their young side and they lost 5–1.

Coupar’s goal was a 25-yard scorcher from Ryan Valentine making it 4-1 in 72 minutes.